A Piece of Me
by Tancong
Summary: An incident leaves Mercy wounded. Though nanotechnology can save her life, there are some wounds that are much harder to heal. A gency/emergenji based story. Beautiful cover photo by h@ge.
1. Alive

The world was strangely dark, though she could still feel the gentle support of the flat surface on her hip and cheek. The last that Mercy could recall was that it had not been nighttime, but the evidence in front of her eyes suggested otherwise. Nothing else told her any better, she couldn't feel anything besides the surface that she was supposedly on. Even then, it felt so distant from her. Where was she exactly? Perhaps she was at home, getting ready for bed after all. Yes, that sounded pleasant right then.

Moments before she felt herself drifting away from her thoughts, she heard a shout that was so familiar to her. It felt so dear and touched with a tone of some emotion she could not identify at the time. However, she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes or move from where she laid. "Perhaps I'll find out later, once I wake up," she thought to herself.

Even then, a tinge of regret crept into her mind, gone as quickly as all the other unpleasant sensations that she may have felt at that moment. There was something about that voice that made her feel regretful for not staying awake just a little bit longer, to find its source.

The source of the voice that had shouted, "Angela!"

* * *

A small murmur came from her lips as Angela rolled onto her side, her legs curling up slightly as if to drive away some phantom chill that had crept up on her body. She nestled her face against the soft pillow that she laid on, wrapped in the warm embrace of the blanket that had been tenderly placed around her small frame. Eventually, her eyes opened slowly, the light from above reflecting off the blue hue of her iris, before squinting slightly. It was definitely not a light she wasn't used to, though it was strange to be on the receiving end of it. She sat up slowly, letting out a soft grunt as she pushed her body to move after what felt like a long nap.

"Angela! You're awake!"

She blinked twice and turned her head to her left side, where her vision settled on the stoic green visor of a robot who was leaning forward on his seat as if wanting to get up. That was strange at the very least, for him to be half standing yet not quite there. Did he want to approach her? Or had he been leaving and she surprised him?

"Don't push yourself too hard, it's best if you rest for a bit more. You've been through quite a lot after all," the gentle voice came from the visor, causing her to blink once before nodding once in affirmation. The cybernetic figure seemed to stay standing that way for a moment, as if indecisive about what to do, before pulling his chair closer to her and sitting down once more.

Angela did not notice this latter part though, barely even registering the gentle tap of the wooden chair against the floorboard as the figure placed the chair down gently. The irony of his last statement struck her as she gazed at the TV monitor mounted on the wall opposite to where she sat. After all, she was a doctor, which made hearing that line rather than giving it feel rather amusing. Of course she knew where she was, everything from the lighting and decoration to the room structure itself said a hospital room.

"How long have I been here?" She asked calmly, her blue eyes returning to the visor of the figure besides her. Despite the hard cold steel that harbored an emotionless visor, the figure seemed to be quite caring. That much was clear from the way he addressed her, with a voice that was as soft as the pillow she had been laying on, as if embracing her in the same way with his words.

"Three days. Everyone was quite worried about you. I'm glad that you're awake now though. Your injury … was quite serious after all." The voice seemed to have hesitated for a moment, as if not wishing to go into the details of that matter toward the end. However, she supposed that was fair. Even as a doctor addressing the patient, she had a hard time earlier on in her career when it came to the topic of their injury. She got better at it of course, but for anyone without experience it was only natural. Which brings a thought up to her, one which made her chuckle gently before smiling at the figure in the visor, speaking gently.

"I'm sorry, I must admit that at first I had thought you to be a robot sent to supervise me. That was rude of me. May I know your name?"

Her smile dipped a little as she looked at the figure. While his body didn't move, she knew it was a male due to his voice, he gave off a sense that something was very wrong. Even if his face could not visibly turn pale nor could his hand become any colder than the natural temperature of his steel body, something gave her a sense that he had just suddenly frozen up in shock. After a short moment, Angela opened her mouth slightly as if to ask him if something was wrong, only to be interrupted by a soft chuckle that felt a bit forced in a way that even his robotic visor could not obscure.

"My name is Genji. Genji Shimada."


	2. Journal Entry 1

She's alive and well

That angel by the name of Angela

Her eyes were as brilliant as the sun

Her words sounded as sweet as the songs that I still remember

But there was something missing from them

 **The memories of me.**


	3. Lost

The pair talked for a while longer, discussing the situation in more detail. From the helpfully calm and informative cyborg, Angela was able to learn much about what had transpired which landed her on the bed rather than having her work by its side. However, her senses as a doctor told her that something was wrong, terribly so. She couldn't help but feel as if there was something deeply bothering the figure that was speaking to her, even if he didn't show it.

She brought it up once, to which he fell silent before shaking his head and denying her concern with a soft laugh that didn't quite feel genuine. When she asked once more, he told her that he was simply concerned about her state and was mostly concerned about whether she really alright.

After all, she had apparently received a head injury that would have definitely killed her had she not invented the revolutionary nanobots that healed her. She couldn't help but notice the way that he glanced away, looking at the clipboard by the bedside as he told her that the diagnostic showed no permanent damage, even though he seemed to have known everything other pieces of information on that sheet by heart.

She never got to ask him about himself, about who he was and why he was at her bedside. She had feeling that he would have given her a generic answers, such as being an operative of Overwatch and being there simply because it was his turn to watch over her.

While both might not be wrong, she wanted to know the truth behind it all. But alas, the man was quick on his toes and never left a moment for her to ask about him, even when she clearly paused in her questions to change the topic. It was as if she was talking to a young heir of a wealthy empire who had secrets to hide that knew exactly how to keep his client from ever bringing up the topic.

As such, she never got to ask about his body or why he did not remove his helmet. From her understanding, most cybernetic suits are meant for combat, which meant that perhaps his was different? He did seem more like a robot than a person, though she knew better.

Her hand and cheek felt a tingle there at the thought, making her frown slightly and touching the spot. Genji did not notice this however as he glanced at the door despite her not hearing any other sound, an action that Angela followed as she watched it open quite promptly to reveal the faces of the other Overwatch members. Faces that made her expression light up in a sweet smile.

"Winston! Lena! Reinhardt, you're here as well! Really I'm fine, you didn't have t-" Her words were cut off quickly by the embrace that she received from everyone, all smiling brightly at the sight of her healthy state. They knew that she probably could not leave yet of course, not on the first day that she woke up.

Regardless, that did not keep Lena from making a joke about taking her out, even going as far as to pout when she was told that she could not. In truth, Angela found herself eager to get back to work too. Seeing all these familiar faces made her recall her work and passion, remembering why she worked so hard all these years.

"How do you feel now? You look a lot better luv. Did Genji tell you about what happened yet?" Angela nodded, going over what he had told her. It would seem that the other members were not quite as well-informed as the cyborg had been, seeing as even Winston had to pick up the clipboard at her bedside for a moment as if it was the first time he had come in contact with it.

They seemed to know generally what happened and her status, but not in detail. Then again, that was only to be expected. Most families who visit their injured loved ones did not want to spend much time mulling over the injuries after all unless the doctor insisted that it was necessary. Seeing as Overwatch was practically her family after so many years together, the same truth applies. She was safe and that was good enough, for both her and the people that were around her at that moment.

Her laughter rang in the small white room, surrounded by the similar sounds coming from those around her. The reflection of Lena shone on her shining blue eyes, the figure of a cheerful British who couldn't seem to stop himself from moving her petite body around even in the confines of the hospital room.

Her eyes slid over to the broad gorilla at her bedside who had long ago stopped perusing over the clipboard. He had taken his glasses off and had been cleaning it with the small handkerchief, placing it back over his eyes in time to meeting her eyes with a smile.

The last figure that her gaze settled on was the large man that was laughing heartily enough to probably wake up coma patients in the next three hospitals combined. Each brought her a memory that made her smile gently inwardly, her expression cheerful as the other members poked fun at each other and jest without care.

Her smile dipped for a moment, recovering before the others noticed, as her eyes sought out for a presence that was strangely lacking. After a moment as the laughter settled a bit before inevitably moving to be restarted once someone picked the right time to make a witty remark, Angela spoke up with a light tone in her voice. "Did Genji leave?"

The others blinked and glanced around before chuckling with a smile on their face. Lena walked by her side and tapped her lightly on the arm in a teasing manner as she said, "Come on Angie, you know how he is. The ninja man comes and goes without anyone noticing. Isn't it usually your job to notice it when he does and tell us?"

The other two nodded and chuckled, looking at each other and adding their own little comments to it. Angela blinked twice in confusion, asking gently with a voice that held innocence and genuine curiosity. "Genji? What do you mean I usually notice him? Is there something that I'm missing …?"

That created a shocked silence in the room between the members of Overwatch who were there. It was a silence that was much more pronounced than the first that she had experienced earlier with Genji, she immediately recognized the exact same feeling. It was a feeling that she now identified as shock, disbelief, and confusion.

"Angela … You don't remember Genji?" Winston was the first to speak up in a gentle tone. They all gazed at her as she slowly shook her head, the golden strands of her neatly tied hair waving behind her.

That made the other members glance down at their feet in thought. It was clear that this was an unexpected situation, quite uncomfortably so for all of them. Even Lena was now standing awkwardly still, glancing at the other members as if she did not know what to say that would brighten the mood like how she normally always does.

"I suppose that considering my injury … I couldn't have escaped death completely unscathed." Angela said quietly, her gaze settling down at her hands which laid gently on her lap as she had been on the bed for the past few days. She did not know what happened but she was alive. Alive, but now with something missing.

She could feel it now, the difference between when he had been here and when they were all here. They were both comforting, but something about the cyborg's gaze made her feel so calm and tranquil as if she was under the wing of a vigilant guardian who would never leave her side.

At that moment, she felt gazes of concern as well, though it felt completely different. They were not accusatory gazes, of course, she knew they did not mean harm to her or blame her for anything. If anything, she knew that they were probably being too harsh on themselves in this situation.

As such, she gave them a gentle smile. "Though I'm not sure what I have forgotten, I'll make sure to learn them all again. If I could get close to him once, I'm sure that it wouldn't be a problem for the second time. After all, I do have all your support."

The others nodded and returned her smile in kind, looking a bit less tense than before. "Right! We'll of course be here for you like always love~" The once again cheerful Lena embraced Angela, bringing out a giggle from her as she gazed at the expression of the other two members.

"It's good to see you healthy again Angela. You're very important to us after all." The booming yet strangely gentle sound of Reinhardt's voice matched the strong body of the retired man, a message which Angela gladly received with a nod and a beaming smile. The two males still had a smile on their face, but behind their expression laid thoughts that she probably would not learn from them at the moment.

Perhaps … in due time.

Soon enough, they excused themselves and left her to rest once more. While it was good to see her again, there was always more work to be done. As a member of Overwatch herself, Angela knew just as much. Even if she was not going to be Mercy for a while longer, Lena must continue to be the ever-swift scout Tracer and Winston must continue being the charismatic intelligence leader for their reformed team. As such, she waved to them goodbye and watched as they walked to the door in a line.

Reinhardt, the man who held the door for the others and the last to leave, paused before closing the door. In a soft tone, the gentle giant answered her previously unspoken question.

"Angela, regarding your past with Genji, I believe it's best that he tell you himself. I hope that it all goes well."

Angela nodded, smiling and giving him a small wave as he finally left, the door shutting silently behind him. She let out a soft sigh, sinking down onto the bed again as she gazed up at the blank ceiling. It was like her mind, much like the room itself. Filled with objects, flowers, and concerns, yet at the same time feeling so empty and lacking in some way.

As she nodded off to sleep, the blanket embracing her again, Angela glanced to her side at the chair that sat by her head. She pursed her lips as her vision slowly dimmed, her eyelids shutting and blurring her sight.

Just who was this Genji that she had so carelessly forgotten? And why did she just see him in her mind, sitting in that chair as if he was naturally meant to belong there with her right then? A chair that was now so empty, as if suddenly lacking an occupant for the first time since she had arrived here.

She had a lot of homework to do. For that moment though, she'll simply rest. Even if it meant drifting off into a dreamless sleep without the comforting presence of her guardian angel for the first time since she fell onto that cold concrete ground.


	4. Journal Entry 2

It's just like the old days again. A slight distraction and a slip through the shadows, an escape unforeseen. Part of me wonders what they were talking about. Did they forget about me too? Or did she realize that something was wrong by now?

Should I return?

Should I keep going and disappear, just like how I did from her memories?

No, I can't bear to do such a thing. Not again, not like last time.

But what will I do now, when I have no one to turn to that could possibly understand and no one who can reverse the course of time.

Even if Lena could … No, I cannot involve her in my own selfish desires. It was not as if time worked so whimsically anyways.

Most of my body does not feel pain to much extent anymore, especially not the parts rebuilt with prosthetics and covered by cybernetic armor. Even my heart is covered by it.

But right now, I can clearly feel a pain that would make being stabbed feel more preferable.

If it meant I have to be stabbed in the chest a thousand times, I would gladly submit to it. If only it could change the tides of time.


	5. Square One

Once she woke up, Angela went to work. She first inspected the clipboard, her hair now flowing behind her freely since the band had slipped off during her rest. The thought made her frown a bit as she tied it back, not wanting to let it fall over her eyes while she worked, no matter that she was simply sitting there and reading at most. After all, it had been quite secure when she woke up. Though she did not recall the condition of her hair when she had fallen, she figured that if she was operating on the field with her valkyrie suit she would most likely have had her semi-pale blonde hair tied up with her usual silver ring-shaped band. On the table close to her where the flowers laid in a neat vase, she soon spot the band resting near her work tablet. Her Valkyrie suit was not there though, a fact that didn't surprise her. It does make sense considering that it was a hospital after all. While the suit did not come with combat functions, it was still a combat armor meant for fieldwork. It was best to not bring it here. Something also told her that it needed repairs.

The thoughts of repairs brought her thoughts back to the cyborg that had left the room. If he had been on the same field as her, did he sustain damage to his suit as well? She had not noticed any sort of deep wound, though perhaps that was due to the haziness of her waking up. Regardless, why did he not remove his armor?

Angela set the clipboard back to its place hanging near the head of her bed once more, finding no new or interesting information despite her more extensive knowledge about medical reports. It was nothing that Genji had not told her, which included things on the clipboard that had not been easily deciphered due to its technical terms. Then again, that did not surprise her. He was supposedly there when she had fallen after all. He probably saw firsthand the exact extent of the damage that she had taken. The rest … well it was probably explained to him by the doctor probably. Beyond that, she did not know how he could have deciphered such information. Unless he was a doctor or watched one work extensively she supposed. Though that sounded a bit unlikely considering that he was a combatant.

This train of thinking brought her mind back to the cyborg who she has no memory of once more, compelling Angela to reach for the tablet that laid on the table by her bedside. She felt fine even when she had to reach a bit, making her feel glad that she felt healthy at least. By her self-diagnosis, she could probably leave by the next day if nothing strange occurs by then. As to her apparent memory loss, there really wasn't anything that could be done unfortunately. She knew of this problem that happened with head injuries and trauma at times, though never finding an answer for it. It came down to simply luck in the end which determined what would be lost. For her, she lost memory for one person. On one hand, it seemed like a small price to pay for being alive compared to the potential of forgetting everything completely. On the other, she felt a pit in her stomach that made her want to puke, as if falling down an endless dark well full of misery, despair, and hopelessness where she did not know what was right and there was no one there for her.

The tablet's screen lit to life, displaying her lock screen and requesting her passcode input. She smiled gently, looking at the photo that she had on the screen. It was a picture dating back to when they had all been working together, when things had been peaceful and they had been working together as an unstoppable task force for the sake of the world. She could remember all their names until this day; Jack, Gabriel, Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Winston, Lena, Ana, and Jesse were all in the commemorative photo that they had taken on the day of their Winston's graduation from the academy. They were more than patients in the medic bay needing medical attention. They were more than just comrades who fought by her side on the most treacherous of battlefield.

Her eyes went over each face, recalling their name and her memory of them with a gentle smile on her lips. When she got to a figure who stood tall in the near distance from herself, a frown came onto her face. It was the confident figure of a cyborg man, the very same figure who had been by her bedside while she had been unconscious for all that time. In the photo, she could not tell his emotions, unlike when he had been sitting next to her bed. To think that she could not remember him, not a single moment in all those years that Overwatch had been active and not a single one from after it went away. Her head ached a little, her chest tightening a bit as Angela pursed her lips, struggling and becoming increasingly frustrated as she could not. She took a deep breath, her fist clenched, before closing her eyes and looking at the still figure on her lockscreen with a sad expression on her face. She hated the fact that she could not recall him, not for anything that he has done for her.

Angela slapped her cheeks with both palms, leaving a small red mark on her otherwise velvety skin. The tablet was unlocked with a simple 7 digits passcode, allowing her access to all the medical documents that she had attained over the years. She shifted through them quickly with the search function, swiftly finding the file she was looking for.

"Genji Shimada, Male, 24 Years Old"

The soft pillow found itself in use once more as it was matted with bright blonde hair, its owner head laying down on the fluffy surface once more as it was brought up against the headboard and wall pressing up against it. Angela took one glance at the display at the top right corner of the tablet, noting the digits that displayed 7 PM in a gentle white glow. She leaned back with a soft sigh as she mentally prepared herself for the reading that may span through dinner and into the night, settling into her bed reading mode as her body relaxed. Her arms and hands were the only thing active in holding up the tablet and scrolling through the lengthy reports on everything that she had once recorded down about the young Shimada, her eyes perusing and soaking in every last word of detail that related in his file, as she did with every other patient.

Even if it wasn't a personal diary, it's a start to knowing the man once more. Just as she had once learned about him when she had first met him. She briefly wondered where he was at that moment, finding herself worrying over his emotional state. However, she brushed the thought out of her mind. Even if she knew, there was nothing she could do right now that could possibly hope to help him in any way. Her presence might simply do more harm, if she remained as clueless about the man as she had been when she had first woken up. To him, her visage was one that undoubtedly held many memories in his mind. It would be hard for anyone to be like so and to know that the other person no longer holds the same memories. Or any, for that matter.

For now, she only wished that he would be safe and that he would be ok. He was a strong and capable man, that she was sure of. He had held his posture and voice steady even after she had told him that she did not remember him, playing along and pretending as if he did not know her even while he was obviously hurting. It was a debt that she wanted to pay him back dearly, to return his kindness and strange desire to protect her from the guilt she was feeling now upon waking up. However, she could not do that until she understood the situation and regained her memories about him first. No matter basic and no matter how old the information may be, they are all memories that had once colored him in her mind. For now, she could only do this until she can leave the hospital. While it was frustrating, she had to start somewhere.

Even if it meant returning to Square One.


	6. Journal Entry 3

Where do I belong now?

I was once a Shimada, a proud yet reluctant member of the clan.

Then I became a mercenary, rescued and indebted to Blackwatch.

Then I became a nomad, traveling the world in search of myself and my home.

Then I found a place in the monastery, under the guidance of a kind master by the name of Tekhartha Zenyatta.

Only then did I realize that I always had a home in the arms of an angel. In her arms, her mind, and heart.

But now, my home has been shattered and I'm once again a stranger to the one I love the most.

Must I become a nomad in search of my way back? This time without the guidance of my master or even a glimmer of hope?

Well, there is one place I can go, one place where it all began.

The base of those who did this to Angela.

The ones who dared ruined our lives.

 **I will destroy their sanctuary.**


	7. The Vengeful Blade

The white cloud painted gray by the darkening sky floated peacefully past the moon, obscuring the cement surface below with a large shadow for a moment before the light shone on it once more. When it did though, it reflected off of a dark pool of liquid that had not been there moments before, one that trailed a short distance before losing its trail next to a large dumpster bin.

It would take another five dead bodies before the alarm was sounded. In all honesty, that was a pretty bad communication system. Had he been here for an infiltration mission, the target would already be dead and he would have been long gone before this alarm sounded. However, this time his target was every living being on the premise.

Actually, the alarm made it easier for him. The enemy came out in squads of two or three depending on their ranks and apparently skill levels. It saved him the trouble of having to search for them and their nearby friends, seeing as they were all nicely grouped up. Groups fell all over the area, by the time one group discovered their fallen comrades, another group nearby was down. Then it was their turn as they tried to report back.

Soon enough, all the grunts were gone. Hell, half of them probably weren't even part of the battle that had wounded Angela. However, they worked as part of the organization and that was enough of a sin for him to eliminate them.

Most of the guys were inexperienced in true combat, they had only been trained and sparred without the fear of death. Being stationed at the base was technically an easy way to get started unless there was a bloodthirsty cyborg coming. Unfortunately, they were not meant to live long enough to get the experience they needed to become capable combatants.

Even without staring into his eyes and even without the killer instinct that came from years of combat, every last victim felt the unending hatred and intent to kill intently focus upon them before the blade and shurikens struck. The calm and stealthy ninja was gone, the one that would eliminate his victim without suffering nor warning. Instead, there was a demon hungry for blood, one that people can sense even without seeing but much too late to save themselves from his claws.

The ancient Japanese texts spoke of many gods. Among them was The Aragami, derived from the characters "ara" for malevolent and "kami" meaning God. Their power immense and their hatred unyielding, any who deemed to be an enemy was struck down without mercy and without any chance at survival.

At last he came to the locked metal door of the facility. The facility itself was not overly large, it was but an average-sized extremist mercenary force after all. His blade met the metal with a loud clang, which may have sounded satisfying to spectator had there been any but definitely not to him. He frowned at his blade before sheathing it. It definitely bothered him that the spirit of the dragon refused to beckon his call and strengthen his sword but now was not the time to ponder upon such matters.

The facility was not completely closed of course. A broken window from up high caught the guards below by surprise. As such, they quickly fell to the floor in a pool of blood. As Genji stood up, he was greeted by a phalanx of soldiers, some with shields and some with heavy armaments. Behind them stood a tall man fully equipped in armor.

"Are these all the soldiers you have remaining?"

The man nodded. "You did quite a number on us in quite a short amount of time. I would not hesitate to employ underhanded tactics and ambushes at this point to ensure my organization's survival. However, I don't even have the manpower to employ such tactics."

"How convenient."

A single dash broke their hard-light shields, though it was hardly up to military standards anyhow. The formation would have definitely been disadvantageous for Genji had the shields been anywhere as durable as Reinhardt's shield but alas that was not to be expected from the funds of a self-operated mercenary organization.

He had to give them credit, they did not panic and immediately friendly fired. Instead, they quickly reorganized their formation to trap him in, quickly regrouping to attack him in pairs and triples. Even so, his initial attack took out some of them. Each successive wave tired out Genji, his successful takedowns never quite complete between each.

Genji found himself knocked aside and crashing into the wall upon blocking rather than dodging a rather powerful punch. Well, the strong fist held a large mechanical blade but simply blocking it felt like he took a direct punch to the gut. Genji quickly got up and struck down the soldiers raising their guns with his shurikens.

He deflected as many bullets as he could, taking out even more as he took cover. He took deep breaths and ignored the scratches and tears in his suit from the bullets that were not deflected fully.

Shurikens rained down from above as Genji climbed up the nearest cover and jumped out, taking his enemies by surprise. In all honesty, he should have done this in the first place. There were many things that he could have and definitely should have done differently. Nothing that mattered now though.

He landed solidly with both feet on the ground, standing straight to look at the armored man remaining. There was no way for him to break that armor with his shurikens and the gaps were too small for him to hit. Not when the man was still fast enough and skilled enough to dodge them.

The man sighed as he looked around before raising the short sword in his right hand. At least they both came to the same conclusion that projectile weapons would not hurt each other. At last, they attacked.

Knowing better than to take a full blow, Genji deflected the man's blade to the side and dodged the few he could. The man was fast, almost too fast for someone in full armor. He was strong too. Such was needed to survive the harsh life as a mercenary leader he supposed.

On the blows he deflected, Genji had no chance to counterattack, not with the recoil of the blow. On the attacks he dodged, he snuck a slash in with his sword. Had he been able to summon the spirit of the dragon, it would have already been over.

Instead, they traded blows after blows. Genji was grazed a few times, blood leaking from the cuts across his torso and on his leg. He couldn't take a direct hit of course. A direct hit that strong would mean instant death. Well, perhaps not instant but he sure as hell wouldn't be able to fight any longer.

The man's stamina was running out slowly, though not as fast as Genji's. It was to be expected, of course, he was built and trained for stealth missions that required quick bursts of speed and strength to eliminate a target and retreat, not a long elimination mission. A gap in his guard resulted in an elbow to the face, the armor screeching and denting it before Genji could leap away.

Genji quickly removed the visor and spat blood from his lips, tossing it aside as he grimaced. The man smirked before frowning as he felt warmth at his neck. The armored guard that had been there had been broken, meaning one more strike would surely do it.

Genji took the opportunity to finish the job. A quick dash to the left feinted with a strike to the knee joint twisted to dodge the blade as Genji jumped through the remaining distance. His sword came from his right side, arm swinging its full arch to find the power needed to finish the kill.

A loud and bright flash came from the man's left fist, shocking Genji as it had been previously idle other than a source of counter balance. The weapon's blast spun Genji as blinding pain came from his upper arm near his shoulder.

However, he knew that if he even thought about what that meant, it would be over. Instead, Genji bit his lips hard enough to break the skin and drew his wakizashi with his left hand. The momentum of the spin was enough, it was enough. The blade came at the man's throat, cutting clean through as Genji continued with his momentum, crashing into the ground without an arm to catch himself.

The heavy and satisfying thud that sounded in the near distance informed him that his job was done. Genji grinned to himself, finding relief in accomplishing his mission, though only for a moment before the pain all over his body changed his mind.

The darkness that enveloped his mind was lifted by a gentle warm flow. He cracked his eyes open slowly, gazing at the strange golden glow. Was it morning already? No, there was no way he could have stayed alive for that long with that much bleeding. Then was it heaven?

As he gazed up, he saw wings spread wide and a golden halo glowing above a worried face. Sky blue eyes gazed down at him, widening as they saw him grimace and groan before attempting to get up.

"Don't try to move yet! You're not in good shape. I'm glad we found you in time …"

Well, Genji was never one to be too obedient. He had been at a certain point in time but it had only been for one person. She was gone now, even if it was her face that stared down at him and telling him to do the exact same thing.

"I'm alright. Well, thanks to you I suppose. Minus an arm …"

On a better day, perhaps he would regret not having made a joke about her giving him a hand. However, it was definitely not the first thing on his mind at that moment and definitely in bad taste considering the sorry shape he was in. It was his cybernetic arm anyhow, she could fix it. She's done it plenty of times before.

"Still, you can't just run off and do these things by yourself. What were you thinking …"

Genji gazed at her, finding her eyes as easily as if it was what he was born to do. However, he looked away once more. The gaze she gave him was not what he had fallen in love with. It was still her eyes and she was still sincere. However, to her, he was no longer someone dear. He was just another nondescript and unknown wounded soldier. One in the thousands that she had treated over the years.

"What would knowing my thoughts mean to you?"

Mercy froze right then, though her healing stream continued to flow to him. Genji walked away and out of its range then, ignoring the soft gasp in the distance followed by the tense silence. He knew there were others who accompanied her on this mission of course, he just didn't have the energy to deal with them right then.

"Genji. You're important to me. You're important to everyone. Why would you-"

"Am I really? I'm sorry if I don't believe it. I came here to do what I had to do, even if I know it solved nothing."

Mercy pursed her lips, her thoughts in turmoil as she gazed as the unmasked cyborg that turned to face in the near distance. She did not see someone who was angry even if anger was in his voice and expression. Instead, she saw someone who was hurt far beyond what her staff and words could heal.

"Genji …"

The cyborg drew his sword, gazing at its scratches and dents. The spirit of the dragon still did not flow through it, the only companion that he thought he had in this dark time. He grimaced and threw the prized blade aside. He unclasped the mechanical sheath and took it in his hand as if it were a blade.

"You don't know the first thing about me."

Then he charged her. Mercy's eyes widened as she raised her staff to block him, dodging to the side to avoid the follow-up stab. Tracer moved forward to stop the fight, only to be stopped by the outstretched hand of a red-visored soldier. She looked at him in confusion, only to be replied with a shake of the head as the man continued to watch on.

He never wanted to hurt her. He wouldn't have dared to. However, he had no other way to express his emotions. He had engulfed himself in anger and his primal killer instincts ever since the event, he could think of nothing else.

"How could you say that … when you don't even remember the smallest thing about us?"

The metals of their weapons struck each other loudly, each strike leading into another swiftly and efficiently from the ninja.

"Not my favorite meal. Not my favorite movie. Not my favorite tea. Not my favorite place to meditate after a long day."

The doctor never struck back. It was the golden rule, to do no harm. But beyond that, this was not someone she wanted to fight. She knew that he wasn't fighting her, he was fighting something within himself. She could only hope to learn and help.

"Not the first time you took a break to spend time with me. Not the first time I used your first name. Not … not a single part of it."

The sheath struck her staff once more from above, colliding with a softer clang as he held it there. He met her gaze, searching for an answer that he could not find in himself.

"Yet … yet why is it that I still can't look away from you? I don't see a past version of you or a new version. I just see, you. It's as if you've never changed but …"

"But then how can you still fight so well?"

Mercy blinked twice, then twice more as she came to comprehend what he said. She lowered her staff, letting his sheath fall harmlessly in front of her face as Genji awaited for her answer. Her eyes gazed down at the slightly dented but still fully functional staff she held in her hands.

"I … I don't know. It's as if my body still remembers how to do it. I don't remember when but I feel like I've done this hundred of times."

Realization struck her and caused her to gaze up to meet his bewildered expression. "Was it you who taught me?"

Genji did not reply. He did not need to. The tears that welled up in his eyes were enough of an answer for her. His sheath dropped from his hand as she opened her arms, letting him fall into them and bury his face into her chest. The others had calmed down and had walked away a bit ago, knowing that the battle was over.

"I was so lonely … I thought … I had lost you forever. I didn't know … I … You didn't …"

Angela held him there, pulling his head into her and holding him tight. Her other hand held his hand, calming it from the gentle shake of his tears and fears.

"I'm here now Genji. Everything will be alright."

Genji gazed up at her, calming himself a bit as he looked for the truth in her eyes. Satisfied, he returned his head to her chest once more.

"Can we just … stay here for a while?"

And so they did. For several minutes, they simply stood there together. When Genji finally hesitantly tore himself away from her, he picked up the sheath and placed it on his back once more. When he picked up his sword, he paused for a moment as he felt a familiar energy flow through it, a glowing green mist that curled around the blade calmly and reassuringly.

Genji sighed softly, smiling at the blade, an old friend. "Oh. You've been here all along. I'm sorry for putting you through that … I wasn't thinking straight. Thank you, for staying by my side."

The sword returned to its home on his back as he turned around to give Angela a soft smile. She returned it to him and together they returned to the airship.

Genji did not recall falling asleep once more. When he woke up, his arm was back to where it was and he was patched up all over his body. Mercy did not inform him of the extent of his injuries or chastise him for it. Angela later teased him about it and casually threw around remarks with the others about not provoking him on another self-destruct mission again lest it slowed down her work.

She and everyone else definitely neglected to tell him about the soft smile of relief that she had on her face as she allowed him to sleep with his head on her lap during the ride back.

Their lives slowly became normal once more. Some habits die hard and some new ones formed. Despite how far apart they grew in a single day, they both wanted to change it together. And so, the cyborg and his doctor became the best of friends once more.

In a world where death is all too permanent, what Genji was given instead was a small gift of mercy and a new beginning. And sometimes, a beginning is all a person ever get.

The beginning filled with blood and tears shed upon a blade filled with memories and vengeance. A deadly blade of fate crossed with the hope of a new healing light.


	8. Journal Entry 4

And so things return to being peaceful once more.

I still have many questions that I don't have answers to. I still have many fears and doubts about our future. However, I now have a place to begin. I realized now that I'm not alone on this journey. Even if she no longer knows me as she once did, she was still the person I once fell in love with.

Perhaps it was fate telling us that no matter how many times we redid our lives together, I would still fall in love with her. There was no way around it. No matter what world or time we may live in, she will always be Angela. That was reason enough to fall in love with her.

For now, I'll keep things like this. Among the many questions I have, there are two I am most worried about.

How long will my heart permit me to continue being simply friends with her? And when I can no longer stand it, how will I confess everything to her?


	9. Experiments, Experience, and Emotions

"Can you hand me- Ah thanks."

Mercy did not have to look back behind her to know that he nodded to acknowledge her thank and that he was doubtlessly standing somewhere out of her way. It felt so familiar and natural, almost as if he knew exactly what she needed and wanted in her work environment. The way that he stood out of every possible path she could take from her current location and the way he was situated exactly where she would need the next item from. It was all so … perfect.

However, she did not have the time to dwell on such thoughts at that moment. Instead, Mercy took the test tube and placed it under her microscope, inspecting it before nodding to herself.

As she did so, she could hear Genji's soft footsteps around her right side, picking up the tablets on the table and the other small items scattered about. She was never one to be exactly keen about neatness in the midst of her experiments after all. That being said, Overwatch was not an organization with an infinite supply of funds. At least, not anymore.

"Alright, it'll work this time!"

While she has never been able to confirm it and the ninja always refused to answer her inquiry, she always had a feeling that he smiled to himself behind his visor every time she said it. Even so, she knew that he meant no offense as he stood watching as she took the test tube and brought it up to the lip of the other container. She has said that so many times now, he probably couldn't help himself. The new vaccine solution has not proven to be successful so far. Each time the two chemicals mix, they came apart or fizzled out. At worst, it made the glass smoke a bit from the acidity level.

"Ready when you are, doctor."

Mercy spared a moment to glance back at the source of the voice very close behind her. She smirked at him, "I don't recall hiring a new assistant. I hope you weren't expecting me to pay you."

Without another word, she looked back toward her experiment and took a deep breath before mixing the two chemicals into the larger beaker.

The next thing she recalled after a large flash and ear-ringing explosion was being on the ground. Angela let out a soft groan and blinked rapidly, her eyes recovering from the change of lighting from the previous moment in the lab. When she regained her vision, she found herself gazing up at the visor of a certain cyborg mere inches from her face.

Even with it on, she could still imagine his face through it, probably with a look of concern that was unsuitable for such a handsome visage. Well, it was sweet and wonderful expression for any man to have, but she didn't want to see it on him. **Especially** not when she was the person who caused that expression to appear.

As she quickly came to realize the situation that they were in, Angela's cheeks heated up to a soft pink hue as she gulped gently. Her body wanted to respond in some way, in a manner that her mind did not remember and did not figure out.

However, Genji saved her the need to finish the thought as he got up from her. She felt her body lose its tension as her heartbeat slowed down just a bit. It was probably just the adrenaline from the event. That must have been what had happened. After all, why else would her heart and body react like that?

She placed her hand gently into his metallic one, allowing herself to be helped up to a standing position before dusting herself off with her eyes closed. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before opening her eyes to try her best to calmly assess the damage.

Despite her preparation, Mercy squeezed her eyes shut again with a groan as she placed her face neatly into her palm, one arm across her chest to support her other elbow. She felt a pair of hands on her shoulder, massaging her shoulder pleasantly enough to possibly make her coo had her head not hurt so much.

"Ver dammt …"

She could hear Genji chuckled behind her and turned to glare at him, her frown not quite as convincing as it could have been. He simply took off his face-plate to meet her gaze, openly showing his smile now.

"I figured this would happen eventually. There are only so many ways you have left of screwing up an experiment after all."

That _definitely_ did not make her frown at him any less, though her glare lessened as she hesitantly conceded to the point mentally. "Is _that_ why you wear your face-plate all the time?"

Genji pretended to think for a moment, breaking eye contact before meeting it again and smiling slyly at her.

"Well, it definitely helps to have an infrared vision and see when things are about to explode. I did recall a certain doctor saying something about safety equipment despite not using any."

"Also, it helps hide my smile whenever you say that it'll work this time."

Oh, the glare was _definitely_ coming back now.

"So you **do** react like that whenever I say it! You're terrible, terrible! You're the worst!"

Angela moved to punch his shoulder, only for her fist to be caught squarely in the palm of his hand. He simply smiled at her, raising an eyebrow as he did so.

"Hey now, are you trying to hurt yourself after all that trouble I went through to make sure that you weren't injured? My armor is not that soft you know."

Angela sighed and dropped her hand. "Thank you for that …"

Genji shook his head. "It was the least I could do for all you've done for me."

Things that he never told her about other than what the files told her. Or at least, she felt as if there were things that he did not mention. He was a sly man, he only told her the things that everyone knew and the things that her files documented. It was definitely true and she couldn't push him further with no basis but something told her there was more.

In any case, she couldn't be mad at him. He definitely improved her mood, whether she liked it or not, with his teasing. It was a charming thing about him that she greatly appreciated. Besides, he definitely did save a lot of money and effort considering that everything important was moved out of the way.

As if he was reading her thoughts, Genji casually picked up her mug from the table and inspected it as he poked at her. "Aren't you so glad I moved everything? Otherwise, you might not have this cup."

Angela snatched it out of his hand with the frown returning to her lips. The "World's Okayest Doctor" mug returned to its spot on the table as she finished the remainder of the now cool coffee.

"Yes yes, I'm eternally grateful. How shall I ever express my gratitude? Perhaps a marriage is in order then, Mr. Shimada?"

A strange expression came over Genji's expression then, one that made Angela pause and made her face and thoughts freeze. They held eye contact for several seconds in silence before Genji coughed lightly with his hand over his mouth, glancing away and over at the table littered with broken glass and spilled chemicals.

"In any case, I suppose we should get this cleaned up. Wouldn't want to hurt your assistant now, do you?"

Angela allowed herself to respond with a small smile and an uncertain nod. Something in his voice changed and something in the way he acted change. Perhaps it was because he called himself her assistant rather than denying it as if to remind himself of something. Perhaps it was the sudden feeling of emptiness she felt without the warmth of his gaze on her. Or was it the warmth in his voice?

Suddenly, her chest felt tight and her mind felt hazy .. dizzy. It took all her concentration to make sure that she remained standing and to force herself to take a quiet deep breath.

Then again, there was no hiding even a harmless breeze from Genji's senses. Such was to be expected from a real life and trained ninja after all. The cyborg cast his gaze back upon her, his expression changing from his brooding tone to confusion and very promptly to concern.

"Ange- Doctor Ziegler, are you alright? Was it the chemicals?"

There he goes again. He did that sometimes. She was sure that it came instinctively to him, something told her that he had to force himself to change that habit. He addressed everyone formally and politely by their family name and title, she was no different. So how was it that he came to develop such a strange habit of calling her by that?

And why did her chest tighten just a bit every time she heard him say only that much of her name, as if she was longing to hear him finish it?

After the first time, she had inquired about it to no avail. After a few more occurrences, she insisted that he would refer to her as Angela if he wished, only to be met with a smile and a soft voice informing her that he was fine with referring to her as Doctor Ziegler. Now that she thought about it, there was something strange about that smile too.

Everything seemed to point to a single answer, an answer that the old her would have known. It frustrated her to no ends and she knew that all these thoughts and regrets that could only be delayed and pushed aside for so long by her work. Now was when her little game ends, where they finally all catch up to her.

Angela found herself burying her face in Genji's chest, tears flowing down her cheeks against his metallic armor. She did not make a sound, not a single sob nor whimper at all. Perhaps it was the stress catching up to her. Perhaps the repeated failures finally cracked her a bit. Perhaps the sleepless nights in succession over this single project finally took its toll.

Perhaps she just didn't know what she should do and needed to do to find these answers for herself and for Genji. So, she found herself simply surrendering herself to his gentle embrace and fell asleep before the tears on her cheeks dried.


	10. Morning's Due

"Hey Genji, is that a wedding ring box in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

"I'm happy to see you."

"Wow no hesitati- … Wait, Ge-Genji? Are you …"

"Will you marry me, Angela?"

…

"Angela!"

…

"We'll do our best."

"Please. Please do. I beg of you."

"We promise. We would have brought in the best in the world for this but … that would be her …"

"I know."

* * *

Angela woke up, her eyes blinking as she found herself in darkness. Well, it wasn't darkness, it was just not the bright light of her lab. She was used to falling asleep there she supposed, so even the dim lighting of the dorm room felt unfamiliar to her. A soft yawn came from her lips as she sat up to stretch.

A quick survey confirmed that it was, in fact, her room. Her eyes naturally came to rest at a spot on the wall near the door but not quite in the corner. In the haziness of her vision, she could have sworn that she saw a chair there along with … someone. But a single blink was all it took to erase that image and leave her with a frown and curious thoughts once more.

As she brushed her teeth and fixed her hair, her mind went over the content of her morning vision and dream despite most of her recollection already becoming much too hazy for her to comprehend much of it. Soon enough, these thoughts returned to the event that happened the previous day, leading her to groan and cup her reddened cheeks in her hands.

Somehow, she has felt more awkward interacting with Genji in the recent days. Well, when he engaged her in a conversation or when she needed to ask something of him there were no problems. She could do that and she loved to have a reason to hear his voice and let him take all of her time.

It was when she did not have these reasons that she faltered. She knew gossip and topics of interest that she could use to chat with the other team members when they happen to not start the conversation, which is rare at best.

With Genji, however, all these basic conversational skills went right out of the window once she saw him. It did not matter that she thought of a handful or two topics to talk to him about beforehand. There was something about the way he immediately dropped whatever he was doing to turn around, giving her that dashing smile and a gentle gaze full of attention just for her as if she was the most important thing in the world.

Something about that made her words disappear and her heart shy away from wanting to say anything further, lest that look and smile diminished.

However, he was kind enough to spare her the awkwardness. Sometimes, he would ask something about her day or her work. At other times, he would inquire about something he was curious about or that he was working on. The remainder, he asked whether she had eaten and whether she would like to join the rest of the team in the mess hall. Never him. It was always, him and the rest of the team.

Now, after that breakdown in front of him … no, right on him, she did not know how she could possibly ever hope to approach him normally ever again. The thought saddened her yet at the same time it made her angry at herself. She's was the Angela Ziegler, world-renown okayest doctor and nanobiotics expert. A single man was not going to shake all her confidence.

She nodded to herself confidently as she looked at her finished look in the mirror. With a smile to the woman in the mirror, she turned off the light in the restroom and headed out from her room, finding herself terribly hungry and desiring something from the mess hall.

Now, if only she could conveniently bump into Genji and get him to invite her to lunch.

Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case. Her walk to the mess hall was extremely uneventful, almost to the point of making her anxious. Being completely out for over half of the day is not something she was used to and she wanted someone to update her on the situation of her lab and things around the base.

Being so deep in her thoughts was the reason that she almost ironically missed seeing the exact person that she had been hoping to meet. But once she heard his voice, all her other thoughts promptly excused themselves, leaving her speechless as she snapped her gaze up from her shoes to the piercing eyes of a very familiar cyborg.

"Doctor Ziegler?"

Angela stood there staring for a moment, her lips open as she instinctively tried to respond but finding no words coming out. Her cheeks reddened a bit as embarrassment struck her from the thought of how she must look and how she must have looked from the previous day. Despite it all, she coughed and mustered her confidence back enough to respond.

"Yes, that would be me. Are you surprised that I'm still alive? It'll take more than an exploding test flask to kill me you know."

To Genji's credit, he had not smiled or pointed out her blush and apparently awkwardness. Furthermore, Angela rather quickly realized that what she said might have been taken to be insensitive considering what actually did happen to her and what it did to him. However, he simply chuckled and smirked back at her.

"Oh I'm well aware. However, I thought that the hunger might do you in so I was actually planning to ah … This is actually for you."

Only now did her eyes find its way below his eyes. She had seen him wear a casual t-shirt and jeans over his cybernetic parts before of course but after the event of the previous day, something in her mind just wandered to mentally comparing the softness between the shirt and his chest.

Even with a shirt on, her eyes lingered on his exposed arm before quickly snatching itself away to look at the object in question. On it was a tray nutritiously balanced yet perfectly suited her favorite meal choices from the mess hall. There was not a single missing item nor a single piece of corn in sight.

"For … me?"

Genji nodded as their eyes met once more. "I thought you might be hungry once you woke up so I thought I would bring your meal to you but I suppose that plan is ruined now."

Angela giggled softly behind the cover of her hand and gave him a sweet smile as she crossed them behind her back. Well, that was very sweet of him, to say the least. It sounded like something from a soulmate's story or fairy tales. Well, he definitely had the fairy tale aspect at least, with the dragon and all.

"You're welcome for not making you bring it all the way~"

She thought for a moment, her finger on her lips as she looked at the tray. She then smiled at him as she clapped her hand together gently as if she was suddenly struck with an idea.

"Well since I'm here already, why don't we head back to the mess hall and join the others? You've been wanting to do that for a while so."

Genji smiled and nodded. "That would be a fine idea. As expected of the brilliant doctor."

Angela giggled at the compliment before joining him by his side, knowing better than to even attempt to take the tray from him. He had never allowed her to carry anything when he still had enough hands to do it for her. No matter where they were or what they did, he was always insistently offering and stealing the opportunity to do so. Even when he didn't have any hands remaining, he would somehow find a way to do it all with his shoulders and under his arms. That was perhaps the most powerful skill of a ninja by her reckoning.

As they walked, a thought struck Angela and made her look over at him with a coy smile.

"Say, you weren't looking forward to eating with me alone in my room were you?"

Once again, Genji had a curious expression on his face, though this one was much lighter compared to the others. It seemed … fond and pleasant, as if recalling a happy memory rather than a regret or mourning a loss. He simply gave her a mysterious smile after gazing at her for a moment before looking forward again.

"Perhaps, in due time."


	11. And so, we begin anew

The months following seemed to slowly become less and less productive for Angela as it went on. Sure she went on missions and made progress on her papers and research. She even managed to not blow something up in her lab since that incident, though that never stopped Genji from assisting her in his combat gear.

However, if she thought about it hard enough, the rate that she worked at definitely slowed down. Actually, perhaps she was working more productively. Despite feeling as if she has been just chatting with Genji half of the time she's in her lab, she was putting out results and achieving successful or at least conclusive experiments at a consistent rate that was similar to her usual pace.

It did not feel like they talked about her work. She was worried that she would bore him to death with her constant talk about it. What used to be a mental thinking process and explanation became a vocal routine as she explained her steps and analysis to the man standing nearby.

The new routine could definitely be a large part of why she thought faster and could figure things out so well. He was even able to give useful inputs from time to time, much to her surprise, as if he had worked with some of these things before.

Even so, it only happened during half of the time she spent in the lab. As for the other half, she felt as if she just spent it talking to him about completely irrelevant things. Sometimes she would stop during these chats with a new idea to try or jot down on her tablet to look into later. Most of them, however, were not like that.

It was everything from his past and experiences to hers. She did not know when he began to open himself and his life to her. She noticed that his stories never strayed near the time when they would have worked together. Even if it did, the focus was never on him nor her. It was always about the team.

While curious, it helped her understand him more. She shared things about her life as well, to which he simply smiled and sat gazing at her affectionately as he listened attentively without ever interrupting. Very rarely, he would ask a specific general question about her story which would remind her of something interesting she neglected to tell. It took her a while but eventually, she figured out that just perhaps, this was not the first time she had told him these stories.

When she asked about it, Genji admitted that it was true. When asked about why he never stopped her, it only took six words to stop her from being able to speak.

"Because I love hearing you tell them."

She vaguely recalled him explain sheepishly that he meant he enjoyed hearing her talk so passionately about herself. Something about the way she sat on the table, her eyes gazing far away and fondly at her past. Maybe something about her various amusing expressions while she sipped her coffee. Her voice too. He used a thesaurus' worth of synonyms for "lovely" about it.

At the end of the day, those six words were what stayed in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more she felt the same way toward him. He was just a wonderful storyteller. He could pull her along so easily with his story, unable to stop herself from eagerly prodding him with questions and insistence for more details. He even teased her to get that reaction out of her sometimes, pausing and pretending to think. She just knew he was.

In addition to these chats, she had been getting more rest and food for herself than she had before. It was ironic for her own patient to take care of her but somehow, it just felt so fitting for him to do that to her.

One morning, she awoke with her heart racing and cheeks hot. In her dreams, Genji's story about him and a young woman back in his youth at a festival in Japan was not just about an unnamed woman. It was with her, dressed in a kimono that she knew she still owned.

It was not hard to arrange a day off to return to her home, or at least the mess of a house that she considered her home. After some rummaging, her eyes widened as she found it. That beautiful white kimono decorated with cherry blossom design she saw herself wearing in her dream.

That was the same moment that Angela realized that she had fallen in love. What else could explain her shyness around the cyborg? The excitement she felt to see herself by him in her dream. The warm feeling of being near him, listening to his voice, and having him fuss over her health and life.

Angela clutched the kimono to her chest, her eyes staring at the mirror on the wardrobe door. She wondered how she looked in it. He told her that it had been over a decade since that day. She wondered how he had really reacted the first time he saw her. She wondered what he would think now.

The kimono was neatly packed and taken with her on the ride back. She did not know what to do now. Her heart was no longer but she felt as giddy as a high school girl. She had plenty of crushes and moments in her past, or well maybe she was exaggerating. She convinced herself that she had the experience and confidence she needed.

After two weeks of consideration and hyping herself up, Angela eventually surrendered herself to her fate and came to Lena for advice. The young lady listened attentively as ever whenever a serious topic came up but there was a quirky smile on her face the whole time.

"What are you so worried about love? Just be yourself and ask however you feel most comfortable."

Angela let out an exasperated sigh and frowned at her. "That's the problem I'm here for! All I've been comfortable about with him has been involving lab work! I can't even talk to him normally."

Lena covered her mouth as she giggled, trying to deny that she was laughing at Angela and apologize at the same time, resulting in her failing to do both rather miserably. It took almost a minute before she finally recovered enough to speak.

"I-I see. Well, anyway, just try your best! I'll be rooting for you. It can't be that hard. You already did it once."

At Angela's puzzled and inquisitive expression, Lena covered her mouth and glanced away before sheepishly smiling and softly asking, "Was I not supposed to say that?"

This left Angela to rush over to Genji's dorm deep in thought and confusion as Lena quickly excused herself to a squad meeting. Knocking on his door and calling his name proved to be of no avail, leaving her frustrated as she quickly realized that he was probably also in the squad meeting.

Just to be safe, she placed her finger on the dorm's finger pad, which served as a multipurpose tool for the occupant to unlock the door with their fingerprint and a door alarm indicating the identity of the visitor should they not wish to knock.

Much to her surprise, the door slid open. Angela had to double check the name on the nameplate above the door before cautiously stepping inside. There was a chance that he had opened it for her after all but that proved to be wrong. A sigh came from her lips, though Angela was not one to waste an opportunity. With her newfound knowledge of her feelings and need to know more about how to approach her new predicament, she took the moment to analyze his neat dorm.

While most were what she would expect from a Japanese cyborg ninja including the comfortable-looking kotatsu, there was a single item that caught her eyes as she turned to leave his privacy intact. It was perhaps the most private thing in the room, and by the Gods, Angela was going to pick it up and open it.

The journal was neatly bound and had a beautiful traditional design on the cover with a smooth almost authentically wooden texture. The pages were normal lined pages much to her disappointment but their content was exactly everything she hoped for.

There were so many things that she did not know about his thoughts. They were things that she wished he would have told her about. Many of his entries were normal enough, recording his day and the such as if a reminder to tell the story to someone else.

Knowing time was short, she flipped to the most recent entries. It was only then that her jaw dropped as she read the words on the page over and over again. Then she turned back a page. Then another. Then one last one before she gently closed the journal and placed it back on the table where she had picked it up from.

Angela quickly left the room with hurried steps as fast as her thoughts raced. When she finally made it back to her room, she collapsed face first onto her bed, lying still for a few moments before letting out a muffled cry into her bed sheets.

She had wanted to know his feelings toward her of course. He had wanted to know what he had thought of her and whether he would reciprocate her feelings. She found all that and so much more.

Ever since the first day of her new life, she had been haunted by the memories of how the light had died out of his eyes. She had figured that she was someone important to him of course but she would never have thought …

Looking back, the hints were all there. The way he collapsed into her after that foolish mission. The way he gazed at her. How every day spent with her seemed to make him regain some of that softness and light in his eyes.

"Stupid stupid stupid! How could I have … Argh!" Angela turned on the bed, hugging her pillow tightly to her chest. "It's your fault too Genji. Why did you …"

As if he had heard her, there was a familiar knock on her door. The same way that a certain cyborg always knocked on the door of her lab. She sat up with a start and fixed her bed, brushing her hand over her hair but knowing that it was probably futile. With a deep breath, she told the door AI verbally to allow him in.

Genji came in, taking a glance around the room before settling his eyes upon her. He gave her a small smile that didn't quite match the concern in his eyes.

"Are you alright? I checked the lab and someone told me that they saw you rushing through the dorm hallways so I thought I would check on you …"

There he goes again, worrying about her when she should have been doing so for him. Well, she couldn't blame him. In his position, she would have probably done the same thing. However, how could she not have ever thought about why he did it all?

Angela simply patted the spot on the bed at her side, prompting Genji to walk over and sit by her, his concerned expression undiminishing as he did so wordlessly.

They sat there together for a moment, Angela looking at her lap where her hands laid, twiddling her fingers in thought as Genji simply gazed at her patiently. She let out a soft sigh and looked up at the eyes of the concerned man beside her.

"I'm lost Genji. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I've been lost and never realized it."

Genji thought for a moment before opening his lips. However, he closed them again, his expression thoughtful during the silence. When he finally spoke, he accompanied the soothing low tone of his voice with a comforting smile to match his eyes.

"Follow your heart. I know it may sound strange to a doctor, but times come when your logic and rationality can no longer pull you through, that's what will get you to where you really want to be."

Angela looked at him, letting out a soft chuckle. "What are you, my philosophy professor?"

Her face sobered up soon enough as her gaze went down to her hands once more. She could do so many things with her hands. Every thought and idea she could form in her mind could be done with her hands. Yet right then, there was no solution she could translate into a language her body or words could ever convey.

"And what if that ends up … blowing something up as a result?"

Genji chuckled and patted her head. "And since when has an explosion stopped you from trying again?"

Angela met his eyes, expressing her genuine fear for the first time. Fear that this time, she would make something go so wrong that she could never hope to repair the damage. It was an expression that Genji had never seen before and one that she would have never thought she would express in her life.

"And what if I can't fix it?"

Genji smiled at her brightly. "Then I'll be there to help you do so."

Angela blinked at him, her lips open to say something about how he was wrong. How could he possibly fix a mistake she made with him? After all this time, could he really still love her the same way that she now loved him? Who was he in love with? Was it her or her past self?

However, all her fears and worries were washed away as she allowed herself to be wrapped in the warmth in his eyes. They were so compassionate and filled with love. And she knew. She knew that they were directed at her and only her.

He wasn't looking at an image of her that she had lost. He did not fight or help her with work because of an old love. He did it for her, Angela Ziegler, because he saw something in her that she may have forgotten but never changed.

No that wasn't quite right. He fell in love with who she was. Nothing ever changed since that day she lost all her memory of him. And just like him, she fell in love with who he was. Because even if she had forgotten everything about him, she had all the time in the world to relearn it now.

Angela gently dropped her head onto his lap, making him freeze in surprise before settling in a comfortable position for the both of them. His hand followed her, finding its way back to her head as he stroked her hair lovingly.

"What if the explosion hurts you?"

"Well as long as you're not hurt, that's all I care about. Besides, you've healed me so many times before, there's nothing for me to fear."

Angela let out a sigh of disbelief followed by a soft laugh as she turned her head to gaze up at him from her lap pillow.

"I hate you. You know exactly what we're talking about don't you?"

Genji feigned shock at the accusation, ceasing his petting to covering his mouth as if he had gasped. "I'm hurt. I thought we had something together. Wait sorry, what were we talking about?" A sly smile was badly concealed as he finished.

Angela laughed cheerfully, covering her lips as she rolled over once more to hide her face from his sight. Honestly, he was the worst. But she supposed that perhaps this was why she fell in love with him to begin with.

Her laughter died down as she looked down at the ground before turning to frown up at him.

"I can't believe you never told me that we had been a couple before the event."

Genji froze for a moment before returning her frown with one of his own. "I can't believe you broke into my dorm to read my personal journal."

"Hey, it's not my fault that the door opened when I tried the doorbell and there was a journal conveniently nearby."

"Oh right, you're still registered … Wait, hold on that's not the important part here. That doesn't mean you can just waltz in and peek at my journal. What if I did that to you hrm?"

"Well, for one, I don't keep my journal out in plain sight."

"Well I, for one, did not expect a nosy doctor to find her way into my dorm. More importantly, you never said you don't have one."

"... I don't."

"Show me it."

"I-I don't have one."

A frown from the cyborg accompanied by a soft cheek pinch made her yelp, though not enough to remove her head from his lap.

"Fine fine, I'll show it to you later. It's mostly just ideas for my research anyway."

"Mostly."

"Shut up."

And so he did. Genji closed his eyes, a smile on his lips as he continued to stroke her hair gently. A soft song came from his throat in a gentle hum, lulling Angela to sleep.

Before she did, she mumbled something which caused Genji to stop.

"I said, thank you for everything Genji. I really do mean it …"

"You're welcome."

"I'm sorry too, for forgetting everything."

A soft kiss found its way to her forehead, making her turn to open her eyes sleepily at the softly smiling man holding her so close.

"Well, we'll just have to create all those memories again, won't we? And many many more. I have all the time in the world if you would have it."

Angela smiled and buried her face against his abs to hide it, curling up comfortably.

"I'll confess properly tomorrow. You better make time for that, if nothing else."

Genji chuckled and nodded even though she couldn't see it. "Of course."

* * *

The rest of the day went by after Angela woke up alone in her bed, wrapped in her blanket. Little work was done with her mind racing and so many things for her to prepare. The next morning came without any bother, though strangely enough, she saw many people on her way to meet Genji. Many of the Overwatch members greeted her and acted normally, as they should have.

Yet there were a few too many of them. And she could have sworn that she saw some even exchanging money in the hallways after they left her side.

"Genji, were they betting on when we would get back together?"

"Most likely."

"Did you participate?"

"Of course not. I knew I had to save my money for planning our dates. Sushi restaurants are expensive you know."

"Wait, you planned a date for today? I wasn't informed of this."

"Consider yourself informed, Miss Ziegler."

"And we're heading to a sushi restaurant."

"No, we're actually flying to Japan for the festival."

"So … We are going to a sushi restaurant."

"Well yes but I'm also serious about the festival part."

Angela's eyes lit up as she clapped her hands together and began to run back to her room. She motioned for him to wait there despite his incredulous expression and shock at losing his chance to tease her about not having any outfits to wear and to offer her the new dress he bought just for her.

However, it would definitely all be worth it when she comes back with her white kimono and a dazzlingly confident smile that he knew and love. As expected of the doctor, she'll never cease to amaze him.

Before then though, Angela paused in her steps as she turned around and ran back to him, leaving him even more confused than before. She then gave him a bright sweet smile, her eyes soft and shining with love as she spoke warmly. Words that were sealed with a kiss on his lips before she ran back to her dorm.

" **I love you, Genji."**


End file.
